One of the many things we talked about with Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, in our recent interview was the declining music space, and the fact that Guitar Hero and Rock Band creator Harmonix is now up for sale. A number of analysts have pointed out that it would make sense in a way to consolidate the competing music game brands and reunite Harmonix with Guitar Hero. But will Activision acquire the Boston-based developer?
Hirshberg, not surprisingly, wasn't about to let us know if that acquisition was in the works, but he did state that he very much likes Harmonix.
"I can’t comment on that, James, for obvious reasons. I can tell you I’ve got a ton of respect for Harmonix, and I agree with everything you’ve said about them. They’re a hell of a developer, and very innovative, and I’ve got nothing but love for them," he said. "As a fan, I can certainly say they are a great developer and they’ve done a great job in this space. For obvious reasons, I can’t comment on the other question that you asked. There’s so much going on with Viacom and them right now."
It's worth noting that Activision boss Bobby Kotick has openly talked about how he regretted not buying Harmonix at the same time that his company picked up Guitar Hero publisher RedOctane (which Activision shut down during a realignment earlier this year).
Hirshberg also acknowledged to us that Activision is facing a great challenge now in trying to reinvigorate the music/guitar game market. The next Guitar Hero will have to bring with it some big innovations.
"It’s no secret that not just Guitar Hero, but also Rock Band, and the music category in general, do not have the same mass appeal today that they did a few years ago. That said, I think that we would be foolish to not try and build on the strength of the Guitar Hero brand, because as you said, it’s a pretty strong brand with great recognition and great likeability, and there’s a lot to work with there. I think the road to rejuvenating that category goes through innovation. The premise of Guitar Hero... that everyone has an inner rock star, it’s something that we’ve all done forever: some version of singing into a hairbrush, or holding a tennis racket like a guitar, or singing karaoke, or singing into the bathroom mirror. We all do that," Hirshberg said.
He continued, "I think a lot of video game genres that have had tremendous staying power have a fantasy-fulfillment element at their core, whether it’s driving the fast car, or participating in professional sports, or going into battle. People don’t get to do this in everyday lives. So I think the core premise and the core insight at the heart of the Guitar Hero franchise is still very relevant. I just think we need to escalate the experience for people and innovate. I think the genre is still fairly new, and so I think it’s probably time for us to really look at what the next level looks like for that genre."
Stay tuned for more from our interview soon.
1 Comments
December 11, 2010
I don't play those games, but I have a wife and some buddies that do. I say that they should do it, the right the mistake of not signing them the first time. And bring the two brands together would just be the ultimate tag team. Even better they could branch to another genre with one brand while the other remains the same, kind of like DJ Hero.